A Citizen's Guide to Indiana

Masson's Blog

HB 1118 – Health insurance premium deduction

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I think I like this one, thought I don’t really see how the state can afford it right now: House Bill 1118 – Health Insurance Premium Deduction:

Provides a deduction in computing adjusted gross income for amounts an individual spends during the taxable year on certain health insurance premiums for coverage of the individual, the individual’s spouse, or a dependent. Excludes expenditures for a long term care policy, Medicare, a Medicare supplement policy, a group health insurance policy offered through an employer, or a policy provided by the Indiana comprehensive health insurance association.

I think it went up on Second Reading today, but I couldn’t find what action, if any, had been taken.

HB 1029 – In God We Trust License Plate

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Thank, um, God.House Bill 1029 – The ‘In God We Trust’ License Plate passed the House by a vote of 89 – 3. Now, how many of those Representatives do you think really thought what the state really, really needed was an “In God We Trust” license plate, and how many of them do you think just didn’t want to be the person “voting against god”?

Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

Indiana Economic Development Council Report

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A South Bend Tribune report entitled Road map for growth reports on the 2005 report of the Indiana Economic Development Council. I don’t know if it’s the article that’s unhelpful or the report itself. But the recommendations are so vague as to be practically meaningless according to the article:

  • Indiana must adapt to a changing global economy and place a greater emphasis on business innovation;
  • The policy recommendations range from emphasizing work force education to taking steps to boost the quality of life to attracting workers to Indiana;
  • the report predicted that the number of manufacturing jobs would continue to shrink;
  • The challenge for future economic growth rests in helping prepare Indiana workers for the changing economy. That means either consistently retraining workers to provide a large, highly skilled labor pool for businesses or taking steps to ensure recent college graduates stay in Indiana, the report recommended;
  • it also said the state needed to take steps to boost the quality of life to reverse the so-called “brain drain” of recent college graduates leaving the state;
  • The authors also encouraged businesses and governments to identify ways to improve international opportunities for Indiana firms and to reward innovative, risk-taking businesses;
  • future economic growth will ultimately depend on Indiana’s ability to enhance the skills of its work force and diversify its economy.

    Brilliant!

    • Gay Marriage – Most Important Issue EVER – but not this year

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    Indy Star article entitled GOP isn’t giving gay marriage same sense of urgency now saying that, despite their wailing and gnashing of teeth last year and the hyperbole with which Indiana Republicans described the importance of an anti-gay marriage Constitutional Amendment, there has been no action to move that legislation so far this year.

    Indy Star on Daniels & Indiana’s grim fiscal situation

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    The Indy Star has an article on Indy’s grim fiscal situation entitled ‘No more gimmicks’ left to try

    Budget experts say Daniels and the legislature have little room to maneuver during the four-month budget session that must end by April 29. They say swift action is needed if — before the next economic slump — state officials hope to close Indiana’s nearly $600 million deficit, make up more than $700 million in delayed payments to public schools, local governments and state universities and stabilize cash reserves. “We don’t have any cushion at all,” said Larry DeBoer, a professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University and an expert on state finances who works with the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency.

    . . .

    The state only recently began to project significant revenue increases after nearly four years of growth in the national economy. Meanwhile, Indiana and other states are under economic and political pressure to boost funding for K-12 education, Medicaid and other programs.

    “Business-as-usual budgeting won’t do the trick,” Purdue’s DeBoer said. “We cannot rely on revenue growth alone to get us ready for another recession.”

    If Larry says it, I believe it.

    Seems to me, though, that smaller tax increases and smaller cuts in services years ago could have made this whole adjustment a lot less painful. The Dems have to bear a lot of that blame since they held the Governor’s Office and the House. But, the Republicans anti-taxation jihad hasn’t helped matters. I like that it’s put some pressure against the expansion of government, but it has also made even necessary and reasonable tax increases impossible. In my mind, it’s federal taxation that’s really hurting the average citizen. State and local taxes seem relatively minor compared to what you get back.

    More on Daylight Saving Time

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    An Indy Star article about Daylight Saving Time (DST) entitled Is it really costing Indiana businesses?: The jist is that pro-DST business types who were asked couldn’t offer any numbers or say that Indiana would have any more jobs if it went onto DST, but they’re “just sure” it’s costing Indiana jobs.

    I think it’s just an annoyance to corporation doing business nationally. But, they figure it out for Central Time, Mountain Time, Eastern Time, and Western Time, there’s no reason they can’t figure it out for Hoosier Standard Time. It’s simply not that difficult. But, the message is that Indiana is not important enough to them to waste an extra half-second of thought on. If we were a booming economy, businesses would be tripping all over themselves to bow and scrape to our little time oddity. That they are trying to change our time-keeping system is a sign of disrespect. If we accommodate them, we’re not going to have any more jobs. We will just have scrapped a time system that makes sense for our geographic area, put our kids out in the dark to wait for school buses, so that a middle-manager somewhere doesn’t have to expend an extra half-second’s worth of thought on arranging his conference call. No thanks.

    House & Senate Calendar for 1/18/05

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    1/18/05 – HOUSE BILLS ON SECOND READING

  • HB 1033 Biofuels task force.
  • HB 1051 Wage assignment and wage payment.
  • HB 1056 Food handler exemption.
  • HB 1069 Home and community based services.
  • HB 1075 Health insurance waivers.
  • HB 1097 Property tax assessment of computer software.
  • HB 1118 Health insurance premium deduction.
  • HB 1130 Legal actions involving state liens.
  • HB 1153 Probate, trust, and inheritance tax matters.
  • HB 1159 Missing endangered seniors.
  • HB 1169 Excluded cities and towns and zoning.
  • HB 1182 Permanent extension of TIF.

    On Third Reading:

  • HB 1029 In God We Trust license plate.

    SENATE BILLS ON SECOND READING

  • SB 2 Parenting time.
  • SB 8 Arbitration in family law.
  • SB 44 Environmental committees.
  • SB 49 Jurisdiction and venue of computer crimes.
  • SB 53 Technology training for state employees.
  • SB 92 Internet gambling.
  • SB 94 Employment absence for volunteer firefighters.
  • SB 98 Probation revocation.
  • SB 112 Academic honors diploma awards.
  • SB 117 Undisclosed transport of dangerous devices.
  • SB 165 Law enforcement training.
  • SB 196 Licensing and permits for boxing.
  • SB 197 Reciprocity for dentists.
  • SB 222 Preexisting condition waivers.
  • SB 224 Home health care services and hospice services council.
  • SB 225 Office based sedation standards.
  • SB 229 School for the Blind.
  • SB 304 Tuition exemption for National Guard dependents.

    • Union County Treasurer Steps Down for lack of bond

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    As covered much more fully over at Kemplog the Union County Treasurer has been unable to get a bond which she is required to do to take office. Because of a bankruptcy she and her husband filed two years ago, she is apparently unable to find a bonding company to post the $225,000 bond she has to have to take office. Today, hte Palladium-Item is reporting that she has decided to resign her position. Union County Republicans will select her replacement. Hopefully the party of personal responsibility will choose someone who hasn’t stiffed their creditors.

    According to the docket of Case No. 03-11663-AJM-13 filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana, the Thibauts filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy on June 24, 2003. That was converted to a Chapter 13 in October, 2003. An interesting development which may or may not have affected insurers or financial institutions’ willingness to post bond was the Debtors’ Motion to Avoid Union County Banks’ lien on something. Unfortunately, the Southern District is inferior to the Northern District with respect to the availability of documents online, so I don’t really know what that is about.

    When I’ve been involved with such things, what usually happens is that my client has a judgment against a debtor who files bankruptcy. That judgment acts as a lien against property in the county. When a debtor files bankruptcy, their house usually has a mortgage which has priority over my judgment lien. They also get an exemption ($7,500 I believe). So, if Mortgage + Exemption > Value of Real Estate, then my judgment lien is impairing their exemption and they are entitled to avoid the judgment lien. Like I said, I don’t know the specifics of the Thibaut case, but Union County Bank objected to the Thibauts’ Motion but then apparently failed to show for the hearing and so they got out from under the lien.

    According to the claims register of the bankruptcy court, creditors claimed $422,000 in debt which was apparently $317,000 secured and $104,000 unsecured. Looks to be a fair amount of credit card debt and Union County Nat’l Bank looks to be mostly secured but with at least $84,000 in unsecured debt. Chapter 13 plans usually manage to pay off secured debt and then leave unsecured creditors with next to nothing.

    Indianapolis businessman becomes Daniels Adviser

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    Local businessman becomes Daniels’ adviser:

    An Indianapolis businessman who has pushed for school efficiency and accountability has been appointed Gov. Mitch Daniels’ senior adviser on education and employment issues. David Shane, president and chief operating officer of LDI Ltd., will take a leave of absence to join Daniels’ team.

    All I can say is that it’s about time Mitch got some input from Indianapolis businessmen.